State College Spikes: Huge third inning leads to blowout win over Auburn Doubledays

Fifteen State College players came to the plate, two Auburn pitches combined to throw 46 pitches and all nine Spikes starters scored as State College took a commanding 11-run lead.

State College rode the nine-run inning to a record-setting 17-4 win over the Doubledays on Friday night at Medlar Field at Lubrano Park. It was the most runs scored in a game in Spikes’ history, breaking the record set in a 16-0 win over Tri-City on Aug. 12, 2007.

“It’s pretty awesome,” said Spikes left fielder Chase Raffield, who drove in four runs. “You can’t really put it into words, but you’re just really proud of your guys for doing their job. We want to get up there and bang as many hits as we can for our pitcher.”

The offensive outburst came in support of starting pitcher Dewin Perez (3-1), who allowed three runs in seven innings to earn the win.

Alex De Leon finished 2 for 2 with a home run and scored four runs. Robelys Reyes finished 3 for 6 and drove in four runs, including the final two on a single in the eighth to set the record.

De Leon ripped his seventh home run of the season to left field to give the Spikes a 2-0 lead in the bottom of the first.

In the third, Raffield launched a bases-clearing double to right-center field to highlight the Spikes’ nine-run inning.

“That was a great, great inning,” Spikes manager Oliver Marmol said. “Games like this are fun, especially after you grind one out like (Thursday) night, to be able to come back and just enjoy a game. Guys are loose, they came into the game loose, they were loose the whole game. They were able to put up some runs.”

State College’s first run of the nine-run inning scored on a wild pitch with one out. Consecutive walks led to State College’s fourth run of the game, and a catcher’s interference on a foul ball by Nick Thompson brought home the fifth and left the bases loaded for Raffield.

Raffield drilled a double into the right-center gap to clear the bases and break open the game, pushing the Spikes’ lead to 8-0 and ending Auburn starting pitcher Austen Williams’ night.

State College added three more runs to complete the inning, which saw all nine players score.

It was also the second-most runs scored by State College (29-12) in an inning in franchise history — the Spikes scored 10 in the third inning of a victory over Batavia last season on July 4.

“I’ve never been a part of something like that,” Raffield said. “Every guy scored in one inning is pretty awesome. We just strung it together today. I guess everybody saw the ball well.”

The dominant victory was rounded out by a strong start from Perez and a sparkling defensive effort.

Auburn (18-22) scored all three runs against Perez in the top of the fourth after State College’s marathon nine-run inning.

But the left-hander battled through it and gave the Spikes seven innings. Perez threw 94 pitches, striking out two and walking three.

“It’s tough to pitch in games like that,” Marmol said. “It really is. Because at one point there’s about a 30-minute break between innings, and that’s when he gave up the three runs.

“He came out and walked the first guy, so although you like the run support as a pitcher, sometimes you don’t want that much runs because of the delay in the game.”

Before and after the decisive third inning, the Spikes made a handful of impressive defensive plays.

Perez snared a line drive drilled up the middle by Osvaldo Abreu on the first play of the game, and State College center fielder Collin Radack came up with a diving catch for the second out before a groundout ended the top of the first.

In addition to his three-run double, Raffield made two diving plays in left field. And Danny Diekroeger saved two runs in the sixth, smothering a ground ball down the third base line and hopping to his feet to fire to first to end the inning with runners on second and third.

It was a complete effort by State College on a record night for the offense.

“That’s the name of the game,” Raffield said. “You score as much as you can and on defense you want to hold them to as little as you can.”

Notes: State College closes its series against Auburn at 7:05 p.m. Saturday. Austin Gomber (0-1, 2.13) will start for the Spikes, while Drew Van Orden (0-3, 9.49) will be on the mound for the Doubledays. The game also will feature an appearance by “Mountain Man” from the A&E series “Duck Dynasty.” … State College begins a three-game series on the road Sunday against Mahoning Valley. … State College’s 17-run outburst tied the Medlar Field at Lubrano Park record set by Staten Island on July 15, 2006.

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